


Lost & Found

by Pixelatrix



Series: Fia one-shots and drabbles [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, F/M, Kidnapping, Kissing, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2014-04-30
Packaged: 2018-01-21 09:46:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1546376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixelatrix/pseuds/Pixelatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a one-shot inspired by a prompt from Brittsis for Fia from my Child's Play story.  The prompt being Hackett or someone that she cares about being kidnapped.  So I decided to play with the idea of Cerberus coming for Hackett, since that was always one of Fia's greatest fears.  This is also an alternate way that Fia might have met Zaeed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost & Found

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for the kudos, comments and subscriptions. It's like candy for a writer. =) It keeps me fueled to write more lol.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Bioware Owns all Sadly.
> 
> Magical Betas: CelticGrace & MissMeggo929

It had been months since Fia had spoken to her father. They’d argued about her working on Omega post-University. She’d still been pissed off that he’d seemed so happy when she injured her knee.

_She missed him._

_Both of them were too damn hard-headed._

She sat at a bar on Omega having drinks with a bounty hunter she’d met on a job a few months back, Urdnot Wrex. They’d become good friends. Aria found it hilarious, called them the odd couple. They were trading stories and shots when an ANN report caught her attention.

_Admiral Steven Hackett’s living quarters on Arcturus were attacked two nights ago. The Admiral’s whereabouts are currently unknown._

“Hey, Little Pyjack, you look paler than a salarian on Tuchanka.” Wrex took her shot glass from her before she dropped it. “You know the Admiral?”

“Yea, I call him ‘Dad’ most days.” Fia stood up and waved the bartender over to pay for the drinks. Cerberus had to be behind the attack, who else would go after him? “And I’m going to get him back.”

“You? Scrawny, little pyjack like you? Not on your own.” Wrex shoved her forward while laughing.

“I saved your ugly, over-sized ass,” Fia reminded him.

Not wanting to waste time, Fia headed out of the bar with Wrex lumbering after her. She went straight to the small apartment she currently stayed in. She left the Krogan to snoop through her stuff while she sat at her terminal.

Three hours of hacking later, Fia knew exactly where Cerberus was holding the Admiral. Wrex didn’t like the idea of her going alone. He told her to give him a few hours. She grumbled at him, but agreed since he was bigger than she was. She turned her attention to finding transportation.

* * *

 

_From: James Stevens_

_To: Fia Hackett_

_Subj: re: Favor._

_I’ll do it, only because if I don’t, you’ll find a way to get there without me._

_At least this way, I’ll have a few hours to try to talk you out of it._

_James_

* * *

 

Zaeed Massani was _not_ what Fia had anticipated when Wrex told her that he had someone who could help. He was gruff, sexy and…sexy. She couldn’t stop staring at him which Eddie’s Dad found _very_ amusing. The three of them sat in the Captain’s quarters while he tried to explain to her what a terrible idea it was.

“The Alliance will send authorization for me to send in a team to rescue the Admiral. We just have to wait.” Captain Stevens didn’t want her going in alone.

“Not alone.” Fia knew the Alliance would take their time. There was too much damn red tape involved in raiding a facility like this. She wasn’t convinced that Cerberus would leave her dad alive… _don’t think about it._ She kept telling herself not to think about what was likely happening to him. “Let me think about it.”

When Captain Stevens headed up to the first deck, Fia grabbed her gear and headed for the Shuttle Bay. Zaeed slid into the pilot’s seat of the Alliance shuttle while she hacked into the ship’s VI to trigger the bay doors to open. Eddie’s dad could yell at her later.

They flew out of the ship down to the nearby planet where they believed Hackett was being held.   Zaeed set the shuttle down a fair distance from the base. With just the two of them, the element of surprise was a necessary part of the equation.

The hike through dense woods led them to a mountainous area. They stopped inside a small cave to map out the rest of the plan and wait for the sun to set. With her omni-tool, Fia had already gained access to the security system to loop the camera feeds. She would also be able to kill the lights as needed.

Zaeed methodically checked all of their weapons. He handed her a boot knife and then crouched down to attach the special holster to her combat boots. She raised an eyebrow at him when he smirked at her.

_Cocky, cocky bastard._

“So how far _do_ those tattoos go?” Fia reached out to drag her fingernail over the one on his neck. She laughed when he glared sharply at her. “Problem, Massani?”

“You’re a goddamn menace, a bloody imp.” Zaeed shook his head and picked up her gauntlet to put it back on her arm. “We will revisit the goddamn looks you’ve been giving me later.”

“Promise?” She grinned.

“Are you up for this? He might not…”

“Don’t even say it.” Fia holstered her pistol and turned suddenly angry blue eyes toward him. “Cerberus trained me as a child assassin. I think it’s time to show them how well it worked.”

“Ready?” Zaeed grabbed her arm when she started out of the cave. “My job is to keep you alive. Wrex made that clear.”

“A hundred credits says I take out more Cerberus troops than you do.” Fia needed to keep things light to avoid more morose thoughts about her dad.

“Fine.” Zaeed yanked her closer. “You win, you get the credits. I win, I get a goddamn kiss.”

“Deal.” Fia grinned. She had a feeling the grumpy human version of Wrex knew how to kiss, _really_ kiss.

Pulling up her omni-tool, Fia set up a program that would randomly screw with the lights and doors in the base. It gave them a simple distraction. The lights going down would also let them sneak into the place more easily.

They took out the three guards on night-watch outside. Dragging the bodies out of sight, they entered the facility from an access point on the roof. Fia showed no mercy, any Cerberus operative in their path died, quickly and quietly. They’d wanted her to be a killer. Taking her father was enough to rouse the beast they had created inside of her.

Their stealthy approach allowed them to make it all the way to the interrogation cells without triggering an alarm. Fia checked every room on the first block, but no signs of the Admiral were found. They moved on to the second set of cells. Zaeed watched for incoming guards while she thoroughly inspected each room.

The third room in the row of eight cells held a prisoner. Fia could hear the sounds of a beating going on. She motioned Zaeed over. He kept his gun up while she used her omni-tool to scramble the lock.

One second, Fia was calm and calculated. The next she was using her biotics to slam the Cerberus interrogator into the wall repeatedly until his blood splattered onto her armor. Zaeed’s hand on her shoulder brought her back to herself.

She moved over to the bloodied and beaten man. His arms were pulled high over his head and held in a locking mechanism that she’d seen before; Cerberus had used something similar on her.   Zaeed wrapped an arm around the man to hold him up while she released him.

“Dad?” Fia knelt by him as Zaeed carefully lowered him to the floor. She applied omni-gel visible cuts and wounds for all it would do. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes, kid.” He cracked his uninjured eye open. “What the hell are…”

“Saving my dad.” Fia helped him to his feet. “You can ground me for life later.”

“We need to get the hell out of here.” Zaeed glanced over at Hackett who was leaning against Fia. “Can he walk?”

Fia shrugged. “I’m not leaving him here.”

Hackett reached back to grab her spare weapon and turned a steely glare at Zaeed. “We’ll talk about the company you’ve been keeping later, Fia.”

As they stepped into the hallway, the lights flickered on at the same time that Fia glanced up at her dad. She got a first full looka t the damage Cereberus had done to him. Her knees just about went out from under her.

“Fia?” His hand went out to her, but she turned away.

Her fingers tightened around the rifle in her hand. “I’ll kill all of them, every single one until I get to the Illusive Man himself.”

Hackett rested a hand on her shoulder. “Just get me home, kid.”

Fia exchanged a glance with Zaeed. He seemed to understand the sudden rage fueled need for revenge. She would make the Illusive Man pay for hurting the one person she loved most in the world. He would pay dearly for it.

Cerberus troops were waiting for them when they stepped out of the compound. Fia and Zaeed immediately stepped in front of Hackett. She created a biotic shield around her dad, while turning her rifle toward the enemy.

It took them over an hour to fight their way to the Alliance shuttle. Fia got Hackett into one of the seats while Zaeed got them away from the planet. She sank back on the floor of the shuttle when a rush of relief went through her.

“You ok, kid?”

“Fine.”

“I’ve never seen you shoot.” Her Dad winced as he bent forward.

As far as Fia was concerned, Hackett never needed to know she’d kept up her training from Cerberus. She had always known someone would come for her or him. She had wanted to be ready to fight when it happened.

“Fia?”

“You need a medic.” She really didn’t want to talk to him about any of it. She was barely holding on to her emotions. “You need…we’ll get you to a medic.”

Dodging his hand, Fia moved up to Zaeed as he pulled into the Shuttle Bay. Captain Stevens was there with several of his crew along with the ship’s doctor. They immediately rushed Hackett up to the Med Bay. Zaeed took all of their weapons out of the shuttle.

_Fia stayed in the shuttle._

She stripped out of her armor and sat in her fatigues. Her hand found the toy cruiser in the pocket of her cargo pants. She couldn’t block the vision of her dad’s battered body strung up from the ceiling.   She bit down on her fist to muffle her angry screams.

“Hey, Fia? Your dad…” Captain Stevens took one look at her face and stepped quickly inside the shuttle. He sealed the door to give them privacy and then pulled her up into a hug. “Hackett’s a stubborn, strong man. He’s going to be fine.”

“His face…the…fuck.” Fia didn’t want to sob on Captain Stevens shoulder, but her brain didn’t seem to grasp that. “My fault.”

“ _No._ ”

“It is,” she insisted between broken cries. She was going to end up hyper-ventilating if she didn’t get control of herself. “I antagonized the Illusive Man.”

“This was not your fault.” He pushed her down into one of the seats and crouched in front of her. He caught her chin between his fingers when she tried to turn away. “You’re a good kid, trouble in a tiny package, but good nonetheless. You’ve been a good friend to my son when he didn’t have anyone. Cerberus did _terrible_ things to you, and now they’ve done terrible things to the Admiral. None of that can be placed on your shoulders.”

“Yea.”

He lifted her up and guided her out of the shuttle. “Let’s go see your dad.”

If it weren’t for the firm hand on her shoulder, Fia would’ve probably locked herself in the women’s bathroom. She found herself shoved into the Captain’s quarters where Hackett was resting gingerly on the couch. He’d been cleaned up and changed into a fresh pair of sweat pants. He was shirtless due to the bandages wrapped around his chest and shoulder.

He patted the couch next to him. “Come here, kid.”

“I…”

“Fia.”

She clutched the tiny ship in her hand and walked hesitantly over to sit beside him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against him.

“Sorry.” Fia scrubbed angrily at the tears that wouldn’t stop. “Sorry. I wasn’t…I should’ve found you sooner.”

“Hey.” He pulled her closer and cradled her head against his chest. “You did _nothing_ wrong.”

“Ugh. Dad.” She pushed back from him. “Gross, dad chest hair.”

“Thanks, kid.” He winced when he laughed.

“I…” Fia slid her hand into his. “I had to find you.”

“I know.”

“They trained me to kill you.” Fia stared down at the scrapes on his fingers. “I used it to stop them. I…oh god…Dad.”

His arms went around her again. “Thanks.”

“Are you pissed?”

“No, though we _will_ talk about how the hell you know Zaeed Massani.” He ruffled her short blue hair. “Want to talk about why you were screaming by yourself in the shuttle?”

“No.”

“Fia.”

“The man who was beating you.” Fia leaned forward with her head in her hands. “I…lost it.”

* * *

 

_From: Steven Hackett_

_To: David Anderson_

_Subj: Rumors of my death…_

_Are greatly exaggerated._

_I’ll be on Arcturus in a few hours. Think you could spare my battered self a little tender care?_

_I’m going to need help with Fia. She used skills that she was never really prepared to use, and I’m worried about her._

_Steven_

* * *

 

Massani had disappeared the minute the ship docked on Arcturus. Hackett couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. He hadn’t been a fan of any of Fia’s choices of dates over the years. He’d seen the way the two of them eyed each other, and he might be forced into a heart attack if he had to think about her out with a damn bounty hunter.

He glanced over at his daughter who was pushing her cereal around. Fia had been…quiet and withdrawn since they got back. She’d told him about her work on Omega, but decided it was time for a new job. He had convinced her to stay with him for a few days.

She finally stood up and carried the bowl over to dump into the sink. “I’m going out.”

“Fia.”

“Please don’t.” She disappeared into her bedroom and came out ten minutes later in jeans, a dark hoodie and sneakers. She had the hood pulled up over her head. “I’ll…”

Hackett stood in front of the door waiting for her. He didn’t know how to help her. He hadn’t seen what she’d done in the interrogation cell. Massani had given him the graphic details when they had a moment alone on the ship.

“Dad?”

“Let me help. I know you’re not sleeping.” Hackett frowned when she used her biotics to push him away from the door. “ _Ofelia._ ”

“You are safe. I did what I had to do to find you. I’m fine.” Fia was out of the door before he could say anything else.

“Damn it.”

* * *

 

_From: Eddie Stevens_

_To: James Stevens_

_Subj: Fia._

_I’m worried about her._

_She barely answers my messages at all._

_It’s not normal._

_Eddie_

* * *

 

With nothing else to do, Fia went to one of the extra-net cafes on Arcturus, the one farthest from her dad’s apartment. She was applying for a job in London when someone sat at the table with her. She glanced up to find Zaeed in jeans and a black t-shirt. He leaned back in the chair and smirked at her.

“Massani.”

“ _Imp._ ” Zaeed lifted her empty coffee cup to inspect it. “I owe you credits.”

Fia shut down the program on the terminal and typed in a command to erase the files that she’d used on it. She had no intention of taking credits from the man. “I lost the bet; I believe that means I owe you a kiss.”

“The hell you did.”

“Well, if you want me to tell Wrex that I managed to out shoot you, by all means.” Fia grinned when his eyes narrowed. “No?”

“You’re a ruthless Imp.” He leaned across the table to warp his hand around the back of her neck to drag her up against him. She wasn’t entirely prepared for the force of his kiss.

“I don’t know, Steven, she seems perfectly fine to me.” Anderson’s voice cut through the fog in her brain.  

“ _Shit.”_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Fia's Face reference: http://pixelatrix.tumblr.com/post/76738525318


End file.
